Devil Inside
by Of Wolves And Dogs
Summary: “Don’t be reckless. Do you want to end up like Riku?” Saïx smirked as he stared down at the keyblade bearer. End up like Riku? What could have happened to Riku? Saix x Riku


**summary:**_ "Don't be reckless. Do you want to end up like Riku?" Saïx smirked as he stared down at the keyblade bearer. End up like Riku? What could have happened to Riku?_

**disclaimer: **I own none of the characters! Dammit!

**a/n: **The fanfic is based on the line "Don't be reckless. Do you want to end up like Riku?"

**Devil Inside  
written by: **of wolves and dogs

_'Time to make it burn; this is how I burn'_

"_Let me see you  
Stripped down to the bone  
Let me hear you  
Speaking just for me  
Let me see you  
Stripped down to the bone  
Let me hear you  
Crying just for me_."

Stripped by Shiny Toy Guns

* * *

"Shut up!" the words were laced with such a terrible sense of frustration as the grotesquely black keyblade swung in a low arch. A low hiss escaped the teenager as he was flung back, a hand grasping the newly wounded right arm of his. Warm liquid seeped into his palm and he only responded by tightening his grip on the arm, willing himself to ignore the whining pain. Yet it pushed onward, mixing in with the pure confusion as he stared at the approaching male.

Messy locks of blonde, cloaked in a strange onyx coat, carrying a keyblade and wearing the eyes of a childhood friend. Riku swore to the heavens that he was staring at Sora's eyes and at first he mistaken the youth to be Sora. Blindly he rushed toward the other like a man who was being offered water after traversing across the desert. Riku was greeted with callous words and attacked by keyblades that were not at all similar to Sora's. But Sora could wield the keyblade! Here was this other teen with Sora's eyes and carrying keyblades himself. It _had _to be Sora – or something!

Yet the male claimed he was no 'Sora' and in the end Riku found himself overpowered by this runt of a blonde. Now here he was…nothing but food for the slaughter as he stood uselessly on his wobbling legs. Maybe leaving Mickey on his own accord was not exactly the brightest ideas in the book, but he had a reason. He needed to leave the King before the darkness gnawing at his heart made him do something he would regret. How many daydreams was he given of slaughtering the King? Of ripping him in shreds and strewing the remains across the world like a warning to others? Something was wrong with his heart…and he didn't want the King to be the consequence of his own weakness and instability.

"I don't know why they want me to bring you to them," a voice entered his world and he snapped out of his thoughts to see the blonde allowing one keyblade to fade away so only one remained. Sea-green eyes eyed the remaining keyblade warily, his own body debating whether it should stay down or continue to fight. His body was winning the battle, reminding him the wounds not only on his arm but the ones on his chest and back. So he instead remained put, ignoring the fact his knees were incapable of being still. Before he could growl out in warning when the blonde came closer, the handle of the ebony keyblade rammed into his jaw savagely, making him see stars. Collapsing on his knees with a ragged hiss in pain, he tore his hand off of his arm to attend to his throbbing jaw.

Riku felt rather than saw the gloved hand come near him, as he stared rather blankly at the tar-colored floor. He could feel a cruel voice whisper at him, tempt him to succumb into a force of nature he rather avoid at all cost. What the hell would it take for him to get rid of Ansem's influence?! As the hand neared to grab him by the scruff of the collar, Riku defied the searing pain that was scorching his skin until it was raw and exposed. Sore muscles tensed, one of his calves instantly tightening to the point where it became unbearable to move it. Cursing at it, he continued on with his sloppy idea that was taking life in his skull.

He was going to trip this smug ass of a blonde.

Body hunching forward as if about to kiss the black top in surrender, hands pressed against the floor for support as his lower body twisted in a counterclockwise motion. It was his right leg that swept the blonde's feet from underneath him, causing the youth to sputter in surprise as he landed on his back. Riku didn't waste any time, lunging at the darkened keyblade, prying it out of gloved hands before jerking to his feet. The movements made his entire body scream and he staggered back, hastily sticking the keyblade in the ground for support to his instable body. _Dammit! When did I become so pathetic!? _

"You are only hurting yourself, you know?" the blonde huffed out as he got to his feet, his hand moving in a motion as if to grab something. Riku only stared in determination as he pulled the keyblade out of the ground, holding it tightly in his right hand. The unpleasant feeling of his blood running down his legs distracted him at best, but he was fortunately lucky that the blonde was also distracted. It seemed whatever he was waiting to summon in his hand was not appearing, making Riku tighten his grip on the dark keyblade. It was burning his hand but he ignored it – he needed it to survive. _Just let me use you for just this once,_ he pleaded silently to the keyblade but it only seemed to continue to burn his hand. Wincing, he shook his head, dirtied locks of a metallic hue dancing in the air at the movement.

Giving a feral growl he charged forward, swinging the keyblade with a practiced motion and for a moment he was given the feeling he was home. Back on the island with Sora as he challenged the chestnut-haired youth to a duel with their wooden swords. He always trumped the little squirt but he could not forget the fact of how alert and instinctual he had to be whenever he sparred with Sora. It felt the same way and he felt his own senses being put to the test as the keyblade met the blonde's other keyblade that shinned a pale blue with mixture of yellow. Pressing his weight against the keyblade, he felt the keyblade respond by sending bursts of pain throughout his being, as if it was struggling to leave his grasp. It realized that Riku was not the rightful owner of this keyblade and the teen had to grit his teeth through it all. The youth refused to use the Soul Eater because he made a vow with himself and the King. He needed to rid himself of the darkness and the Soul Eater did nothing but feed the darkness in his heart. It only fed the remnants of Ansem that lurked in the shadows like a terrible nightmare.

_I don't need darkness to be my strength._

The thought was meant to inspire more power into his being – to help him finish off this bizarre Sora look-alike. Yet instead it only seemed to make his arms slacken in pressure, and before he could lurch back in avoidance, he was caught in the quick slice from the blonde's keyblade. Another wound on an already bleeding wound, and he felt his body instantly sink to the floor. Keyblade leaving his fingers, he clutched almost wildly at his chest, pressing his palms fiercely against the gaping wound in an attempt to stop the blood flow. "I told you…no matter how many times you try, you cannot defeat me," the blonde informed him tersely, as if scolding a petulant child for breaking the rules. Riku only glared, hoping that alone could kill the damn brat. He wouldn't mind skewering the blonde with his own keyblades and leaving the Heartless to tear his flesh off. _Think of what we can accomplish – think of who we can desecrate if you just give in, _a masculine voice cooed out gently and Riku gave out a shudder as a wave of coldness gripped him from his stomach before working its way upward to his chest. _Giving in does not truly mean giving up, Riku. _

"I'm not going to give in – and like hell am I going to give up," Riku hissed out violently and the blonde only shook his head in pity. Before he could thoroughly snuff out Ansem's voice out of his head, his body was dragged into a gaping hole of materialized darkness. Tossed inside, he felt his insides immediately do flips in his stomach. He could feel bile rising up his throat as he kept his eyes clenched, not willing to see what was around him. _Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up. _He chanted the words out as if it was his mantra and before he felt as if he was truly going to empty out his insides, he felt cold tile underneath his torn attire.

Slowly opening his eyes, those tainted green eyes of his found himself bombarded with white. Wincing at the brightness of the color, he wondered if he was finally out of the realm of darkness or wherever he was truly traversing in. Swiveling his head to the right he found the blonde standing beside him and looking mightily annoyed as he stared ahead of him. Following the blonde's line of sight, he found himself staring at another figure in a black coat. Skin the color of pale chocolate, of one who has spent his days out in the sun than hidden in some black attire. Yet the minute his eyes went up to examine the face, he felt his heart lurch inside his chest. It felt as if hands were strangling him whole, his lungs screaming in a wild frenzy as it struggled to function and gather oxygen. His body harassed and berated him to run for his life, but his body was immobile and frozen to where he was. Only his chest could move in a bizarre and irregular movement, the wounds on his chest only allowing more of life's fluids to leave them.

Ansem.

He was staring up at the face of Ansem himself. The eyes. The face.

Ansem seemed far too busy speaking to the blonde, his face void of emotion as those eyes of diluted orange stared in boredom at the frustrated blonde. Riku could only hear his heart palpitating against his chest, as if struggling to burst through his chest and run away. A feat his legs seemed unable to accomplish. Those orbs of tangerine turned to him, pinpricks of black for pupils widening like a ravenous black hole. They regarded him with something akin to amusement, as if finding something terribly funny in Riku's appearance. Riku only held his breath, already knowing that this Ansem could feel its cold presence already inside of his heart. Yet through it all he felt disgusting. He felt like scum, as if he reinvented the bottom and here were those passionless eyes that looked down at him like a grease stain on a stove.

"Look Xemnas, answer my questions! I'm sick of you dragging me around like some cheap toy!" the blonde's voice suddenly cut into his world, and it felt as if someone turned up the volume to this mute atmosphere of his. Riku tore his eyes away from Xemnas? This man was called Xemnas? _So then he is not Ansem?_ A soft sigh escaped his dry throat as he dropped his head to the ground, a small wave of relief tickling his insides. The fact that Ansem and this Xemnas looked alike troubled him deeply, but knowing they were not the same man made the worry lessen a tad.

"In due time, Roxas. In the meantime, why don't you…run along," Xemnas drawled out in a deep voice that sounded like lions yawning in unison. Riku lightly flicked his eyes to the right to see this Roxas clench his hands until they formed tight fists before stomping out of view. Maybe he was in a parallel universe. Where people he once knew were rearranged to look like similar copies but with different voices, names and features. Honestly, at this point of his journey he wouldn't put it past reality to send him into such a hell-spin of events. "Riku…I know of you. You killed a few of my men," Xemnas mused and whatever feeling of remorse, anger, despair or any emotion that should have been fed into these words was vacant – nonexistent. In all it sounded more as if the male was reciting a fact than accusing Riku of this deed.

Riku only continued to stare at the floor, his mind warped and still reeling in confusion. It didn't help that he was still bleeding where he stood – or rather where he sat on his knees. His mind tried to summon up memories of the event, but it instead sent itself spinning dizzily, forcing him to shut his eyes. "Do…I look…like I give…a fuck?" Riku managed to heave out, causing a chuckle to leave Xemnas' lips.

"No, no you don't," Xemnas replied. The words were said in warm humor but the warmth was empty, like a bottomless pit that only yawned in space and time. So in turn the words became dry and flavorless to his ears, causing him to wince at how…bland and empty everything seemed to sound through this Xemnas' mouth. It was like listening to a robot. It was like listening to a drone. It was like listening to a corpse – if corpses could ever talk.

The sound of something being ripped and dropped several octaves, plus the whine of a dying dog filled the air before disappearing. Already Riku could feel the darkness that came to existence before fading, like a mere pop of existence in the scene.

"You called for me, Superior?" a different voice entered the scene, making Riku force himself to push his head upward to look. Periwinkle-hued hair was the first thing that caught his eyes as it draped gracefully over strong shoulders bearing an equally muscular yet lanky form. The black coat that Xemnas, Roxas and this other character did a good job at accentuating their figures. Already he could see himself having his head being stomped in by this newcomer who began to look even more frightening as he examined the cream-colored face. Those locks of blue made eyes of burning gold shine like beacons of light, followed by the displayed scar that resided in the middle of the face. A single 'X', both lines meeting at the bridge of the nose as they expanded, avoiding clashing with those golden eyes. He wanted to immediately call this male the bland twin to Xemnas when it came to facial expressions, but a strange light danced in those golden eyes. Lips seemed to quirk ever-so-slightly when the male realized Riku was staring at him, and it looked as if this man was carrying a secret. Not that he looked suspicious and paranoid of being discovered, but rather he looked as if he knew a secret that could solve all the problems in the world and he chose to keep it to himself. To horde this secret information and those eyes seemed to gloat in silence.

"The boy is bleeding on the tile," Xemnas stated and the golden-eyed man turned his gaze down toward the tile and noticed the dripping mess.

"Good thing we agreed to not have carpet," came the response, amusement dripping from the male's words and Riku nearly bristled at this. There the two just stared at him as he bled to death on the tile. All they could _think _about accomplishing at the very moment was congratulating each other that they chose tile over carpet. _Fucking pricks. You are going to be one of the five people I'm going to meet in Hell. _It was when his thoughts left his head did he feel his mind give a shrill shriek, a sound akin to the swan song ear cells gave when they began to fade into death. Gritting his teeth, he dropped his head once more, a shaky hand gripping his forehead violently as if he was trying to tear the skin off of his skull. Their voices became nothing compared to the shriek that resonated loudly in his head, causing him to choke and hiss in agony. What the hell was going on!?

"I assume you want me to deal with this one, Xemnas?" the male inquired as he made a gesture with a gloved hand at the youth who looked to be undergoing some sort of internal seizure. Xemnas gave a nod as he crossed his arms across his broad chest, eyes regarding the entire seen with intense disinterest.

"Indeed. Destroy him – he right now is nothing but a nuisance. Ah…but do not kill him." The periwinkle male raised his brows in surprise as he tilted his head to the right inquisitively like a puzzled mutt. "I wonder Saïx …are you capable of breaking a spirit? A more difficult task than simply taking a life," Xemnas finished and Saïx exhaled through his nostrils, eyes narrowing slightly at this challenge being set before him. He could taste the sarcasm in the words and that sparked a single glimmer of defiance before being quickly snuffed out into a subservient glow. Already he had been reprimanded more than once for his cruel tactics and Saïx could not understand the use of letting your victims live. It was illogical. It was smarter to get rid of the problem completely instead of eradicating it halfway. However…if Xemnas wished him to stay his hand in snuffing this rat's life, then so be it.

"As you wish," Saïx responded, a gloved hand moving toward his heart and given a gentle bow that would have never worked if used before another. Moving toward Riku, the well-built figure bent down to grab Riku rather roughly by the scruff. Disappointment shadowed Saïx's face as he pulled the youth to his feet with inhumanly strength as his right hand splayed out on the space beside him. On command, a gnawing portal of darkness came to view and Saïx and Riku entered into the portal. Riku was released out of his stupor the minute his insides did that crazed flop again, making him bite his tongue as he swallowed back the bile threatening to come up. It continued to push through his defenses and he prayed desperately that this freak of a ride would end soon.

As if someone was answering his prayers, he was ejected out of the portal, falling head first into what looked like a pristine bathroom. Salvation was finally here! Without hesitating he did a mixture of limping and shuffling to the toilet, jerking the seat up before his body heaved out his insides. Slumping to his knees, he released a short-lived choked sob as he felt his body crumble before his eyes. It angered him to no end that he felt so…pathetic, weak, vulnerable…a loser. His ego howled in utter displeasure at the title, and before another wave of nausea could grip him, gloved fingers reached over and carefully pulled his hair away from his face. Ejecting the last remainder of whatever meal was still being digested in his system. He did not hesitate to flush his insides away, making sure to avoid staring at the contents of his stomach.

Tilting his head back, he wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, feeling the gloved fingers release his hair. "Thanks," Riku muttered as he turned his head to stare at a curious face before looking past it to stare at the skink. The older male seemed to understand as he moved forward, an arm slipping underneath the teenager's arm and around his back. Hoisting up, Riku made sure to ignore his aching wounds at the moment. He first needed to wash out the taste of acid in his mouth. "I'm fine," Riku bit darkly and he instantly regretted it, mumbling a half-hearted apology as he turned the faucet on. Scooping his dirty hands in the water, he let the water wash away most of the blood before cupping his hands. Gathering the water in his hands, he happily rinsed his mouth a good ten times before turning the faucet off.

"What the hell do you want with me?" Riku finally asked, staring warily at the silent cloaked figure.

Saïx responded by lightly fixing his gloves and breathing out the next words with a casual air, "Xemnas wishes for me to give you to the Heartless." A little white lie, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. If he was going 'destroy' his meal, he might as well toy with it for now. Riku stiffened at the words, his body become rigid and immobile. The Heartless!? In the state he's in now? He wouldn't last more than a minute. "But…sometimes orders do not need to be followed…precisely as planned," Saïx finished eloquently and Riku felt a wave of relief wash over him. Good, so not everyone in this godforsaken area was a psychopathic character who killed you because they can after all. Riku wanted to scream in exaltation at his luck, but his body reminded him of the terrible state it was in. "Disrobe," Saïx suddenly commanded, making Riku give a quizzical look before frowning. Yet when he saw a potion in the man's hand, he did not hesitate to take his clothes off – or at least what was left of them. His shirt was badly torn and it took some work carefully getting it off without disrupting the gash on his chest. Toeing his shoes and socks off during the process, he shivered when his bare feet touched the freezing floor. When his fingers came to his pants, he pursed his lips in an effort to silence his dignity. A part of him heavily refused to disrobe in front of some man who worked with Ansem's look-alike! Especially one who ordered for him to be fed to the Heartless! Yet at the aches and cries his body gave, he swallowed his pride and carefully took off the rest of his clothes.

Staring defiantly at Saïx, he watched the male approach him with the grace of some carnivorous wolf that just spotted his next prey. Keeping his body rigid, he averted his eyes to the scar on the male's face as Saïx attended to Riku's numerous wounds. Some were old and slowly healing, but the ones that needed attention were the recent wounds. Feeling icy liquid drip onto his chest, he hissed at the temperature before feeling the throbbing pain it once gave dull into an ache. Concentrating on the scar, those orbs of captured sunlight flickered toward him and he hastily averted his eyes, cheeks flaring in embarrassment. He wanted to protest that he could heal himself quite well by himself, but he knew it was all talk. Yet he could not shake off the uncomfortable sensation as some _stranger_ was applying this soothing yet icy magic onto his upper thigh.

After a good ten minutes of standing still to the point where he felt his frozen muscles would crack and shatter, he came to the conclusion his cheeks were forever sunburn by his own embarrassed flush. "There," Saïx murmured as he stood up to full height, towering over Riku who began to feel intimidated by the male. "Are you fit to take a bath?"

If Riku was anyone else, he might have burst into tears at the idea of finally being able to have a bath. Instead he gave a jerky nod that made his brain flop in his skull, causing a headache to instantly form. Shuffling his way in the direction of the tub, he felt his heart nearly fall in love at the sight. Soon he would be submerged in warm water as he washed the grime and blood off of his body for good. "Yeah…I can do it," Riku finally responded as he was about to cheerfully turn the water on, but stopped himself. Standing up straight, he turned so he could stare at this periwinkle-haired man, "What's your name?"

"Saïx," the man replied back after a brief moment of silence, making his way toward the door in a motion to give Riku some privacy.

"I'm Riku," blurted out, giving a firm nod. He felt he could trust Saïx, after all Saïx was taking care of his injuries instead of feeding him to the Heartless. Saïx gave a soft 'hmm' in response as he opened the bathroom door.

"If you need me, just call. I'll be right outside," the male informed before leaving the room, closing the door behind him without another word.

* * *

This was hopeless.

There was no way he could summon up the strength to reach out and grab the bar of soap. There it sat on the edge of the tub and for the life of him his body refused to move from its rooted spot. It was already comfortable in this slumped position in the warm water and he noticed wearily the warmth the water gave was slowly becoming lukewarm. Huffing in displeasure, he laid against the inside of the tub in silent defeat. It took so much energy to merely step inside the tub itself and already his body was exhausted beyond belief. "Dammit," he hissed as he slapped the water, his head lolling in the direction of the door.

Closing his eyes as he exhaled through his nose, he pursed his lips in silent debate. "Saïx," he finally gave in and he hated the fact his words came out in a dry croak. Clearing his throat, he was about to call for the man again but the door gently swung open. In came the man, the door closing behind him as he sauntered forward once more with that animalistic grace of his. The man tilted his head to the right in an inquiring gesture, as those golden eyes stared mutely at Riku's sea-green eyes. "Help me?"

Saïx gave a nod that looked as if he was more like agreeing with something than acknowledging the request. Tugging his gloves off and sticking them in the black cloak, before proceeding to unzip the coat. Riku at first paid no heed to this as he tried to make himself more comfortable in the tub, but when a flash of porcelain skin caught the corner of his eye, he instantly jerked to the sight. His neck hissed at his hasty motion, but his eyes only widen in disbelief at the sculpted chest before him. The chest was riddled with scars that were old, but the skin seemed to carry an almost pure tinge to it, so that when the light hit the scars they gave out a weak, ethereal light. What truly made him gape like a complete fool was the fact that this man was rippling with muscles. He watched the muscles move over the porcelain skin when Saïx moved, furthering Riku's agreement that this man could probably snap him in half by merely flexing an arm. The only color standing out against the male's chest were the two salmon-pink nipples and the blue fuzz that began at the navel before moving downward and disappearing into onyx pants.

The man was utterly handsome, but the scars forced him to stay rooted in reality. There was a reason the man bore those ferocious scars and there was an even larger reason why there was a scar on the man's face. So he kept his gaze cautious as the male kneeled beside the tub, grabbing the bar of soap with ease. As much as he hated to admit it, he felt himself sink into a comfortable stupor as he felt the dirt, grime and blood leave him. Replaced with its heady stench was the scent of lemon and he couldn't help but sigh in bliss at this treatment. Who knew that being dragged through those dark portals by a blonde asshole would be worth it?

"Hey!" his voice rose an octave as a squeak in indignation escaped him when the bar of the soap traveled downward to his lap. Saïx only gave a shrug in nonchalance as he proceeded onward with his scrubbing, his free hand pinning down one of Riku's leg that was beginning to thrash about. So Riku coped with it all by glaring daggers at Saïx's head, waiting for blood to spurt out any minute now. _I can wash myself!_ It seemed Saïx didn't read thoughts either because the male went on with his work.

"Stop glaring at me," Saïx sighed two minutes later, trying to scrub the blood crusted on Riku's right calf.

"How can I when you're manhandling me!?" Riku shot back hotly as Saïx finished with the right calf. Pulling the soap out of the water, he placed it on the edge of the tub before rummaging for something beside him. Riku didn't bother to look; he was waiting for Saïx to burst into flames from his glare. Any minute now…

Saïx's hand grasped his shoulder as the other one was placed on the top of Riku's head. Riku quirked an eyebrow in confusion, but Saïx only ignored the silent question being asked. "Hold your breath," the male informed before shoving Riku's body down into the tub, body sliding into the tub as his legs bent at the movement, feet lightly sticking out of the water. Tugging the youth back out, he did not bother to watch the youth cough out water and sputter on his words.

"W-W-WHAT WAS THAT!?" Riku barked out, eyes narrowed into outraged slits.

"Me manhandling you – close your eyes unless you want shampoo in them," Saïx replied back, lips pulled into an amused smirk that surprised Riku. Not once had he seen the male crack anything close to a smile, and he felt his anger diminishing at the sight. The smirk fit perfectly on the male's face as those golden eyes of Saïx were half lidded, chuckling in silence. So Riku couldn't help but scoff as he grinned, eyes closed as he felt shampoo become massaged and lathered in his wet locks.

Alright, he was going to admit it: he felt as if he was in Heaven. Talk about being spit out by Hell itself and then being handed over to Heaven the moment after. He could even feel his headache fading away and Ansem's lingering presence around his heart seemed to be put in his place. "Hold your breath," Saïx spoke as Riku sputtered in outrage once more as fingers pinched his nose for him as he found his body once more shoved into the water. A free hand scrubbed the suds off before tugging the teenager back to the surface. Riku spit water out of his mouth as he glared darkly at Saïx who still was pinching Riku's nose with a laughing smirk etched on his lips. Swatting at the hand until he was released, he gave a yawn in exhaustion and stretched in the tub. Now this was perfect, but man he would kill for a good cat nap.

"Tired? Do you wish to rest?" Saïx asked as he rose to his feet, hand reaching out to grab a hanging towel. Riku gave a nod, pleased that Saïx seemed to be a mastermind at reading everything from his body alone. Something told him to continue to be wary – to be cautious and on the safe side. If someone is being too nice to you for no apparent reason, then obviously something terrible this way comes or they are Mother Theresa. And truth be told, Saïx did not look like a Mother Theresa whatsoever. But how the hell was he supposed to reject a nice warm bath and a comfy bed? It sure did beat scrounging around for places to stay for the night with the King.

Already done with being embarrassed – hell the man freakin' gave him a thorough scrub down – he allowed himself to be helped into a towel. Towel-drying his hair, he noted wryly that the towel was matching the entire black get-up everyone seemed to be wearing. "What's up with black?" Riku finally asked as he wrapped the towel around his waist, feeling much better than before. "Err…wait…can we not do that whole 'through the darkness' portal thing again? I don't think my stomach can take it again," Riku added hastily when he saw Saïx raise his hand in a gesture that spoke that he was going to summon a gate through the darkness once more. Saïx gave a nod and offered a robe in exchange for the towel, Riku gratefully taking it.

Leaving his desecrated clothes on the ground along with the bloodstains, he followed after Saïx obediently. "The color is for the sake of uniformity," the taller male replied as they walked down a winding hallway that shinned a clean silver and white. Riku couldn't sense Heartless in the area, but he couldn't shake off the sensation of the scent of plastic wafting in the air. As if there was something terribly 'fake' about this all.

"Uniformity?" Riku replied back, turning his thoughts back to the periwinkle-haired male. He wondered when Saïx put on the coat again, because he couldn't recall whatsoever. "You guys a cult?" the youth teased as he was shot an amused smirk, but those golden eyes flared with wild disgust and insult before fading away into a familiar neutrality.

"Ha ha, I am afraid not – or maybe we are, who can say? We are a collective group of Nobodies: Organization XIII," Saïx explained as he turned a corner, Riku following suit. Nobodies? Well that was harsh. Maybe these guys were all humble? Thinking they were nothing important? Nothing but a couple of nobodies? _Wow, as if that makes any fucking sense. Uh, just forget it. They aren't Heartless, so that's good. _Although seeing Ansem's somewhat twin hours ago still worried him a great deal.

"So – ah – what do you guys want then? Fight for – I suppose," Riku inquired when they stopped before a silver door. Saïx paused as his hand reached out to touch the doorknob, he seemed to be thinking of his response before giving out a pleasant ' hmph'.

"We are fighting for what has been taken from us," came the cryptic response before he pushed the door open.

Riku only frowned as he entered, not at all liking the response. Fighting for what was taken from them? Like…munny? Their girlfriends? Boyfriends? Their homes? Worlds? The 'fighting for their homelands' made sense in his head. Maybe they were fighting against the Heartless too! Like Sora – _Sora._ Instantly sobering up at the name, he felt suddenly ashamed. Here he was soaking up the rays of good hospitality while he should be figuring out a way to get back to his friends and home.

_And what will they say when you head back home, Riku? What makes you think that they will take you in with open arms? You created havoc to stability – to peace. What makes you eligible for their forgiveness, let alone anyone's? _

Instead of shushing Ansem's haunting voice, he instead drowned in the words as he gave a nod in tired agreement. Home? He no longer had a home, he made sure of it. He made sure he pushed himself out of everyone's heart due to his own selfish fancies of a 'better life'. Swallowing in this guilt, he barely realized that he was bathed in a strange light. Blinking at this growing realization, he turned his head to see that one large wall of the room was made of windows. Somewhere past the clouds, moonlight seeped through and bathed the room in a glorious light that was soothing.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Saïx murmured and Riku gave a silent nod. Turning to gaze at the man, he found those alert eyes half-lidded in muted pleasure. He almost looked as if he was in a warm trance, lips quirked into the faintest of smiles. Then without warning eyes of great intelligence turned to him and flicked past him. Riku turned to also look and saw a bed that was made and silently beckoning for him. "Please rest," Saïx requested and Riku did not need to be asked a second time as he made his way to the bed. The Nobody was going to pull out spare clothes for the youth to wear but when he brought them to Riku, he found the youth already deep in sleep and curled into the sheets.

Tilting his head to the left, those orbs of melted gold stared rather in profound laughter as a mouth parted to reveal those fearsome canine teeth. Injure a spirit was the Superior's direct orders, but why not just injure the heart? The difference was not truly vast.

* * *

Riku woke up to the sound of his own breathing and he had no idea why that startled him so much. Shifting onto his back, he stared quietly at the dull white ceiling that stared back at him blandly. Turning his head to the right, he found himself staring at the large wall of windows. It was no longer cloudy and he could see the moon quite clearly. He recognized the moon – the strange moon he has been seeing while walking around the streets. One moment it will be far off, the next moment the moon was hovering close by like a silent sentinel. Other than this strange off-set of physics and gravity, the moon was shaped as a heart. He wanted to sneer at it and call it 'girly', but the way its pale face just seemed to send cold shocks throughout his entire being made him shy away from the accusation. Something was wrong with the moon…something was wrong with this entire area. Enough said.

Running a hand through his hair while another rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he slowly sat up in a sleepy daze. The room was once more lit by moonlight and he could see other dark objects that made up the room by the other walls. The room was surprisingly…sparse and plain. Riku thought he would be seeing…more, something different. Instead the room shared nothing of the man that resided in the room, drawing up a blank on Saïx's personality. Continuing to stare about the room, eyes finally settled to the figure sitting silently in a chair far off. Squinting his eyes to get a better view, the head slowly turned and melted suns and cacophonic fire contained in two orbs that made up the eyes pierced him into place. Riku felt his heart shudder into a halting stop as his breath got caught in his throat. Lips parted to reveal teeth that looked more like the teeth that should belong on a wild animal than a man. Eyes and teeth gleamed, the only features Riku could see on this figure made of the darkness in the room.

A cloud shifted, light spreading onto the man and Riku found the calm face of Saïx. It was as if his own mind formed up this demonic illusion and he shook his head in silent disbelief at himself. "How are you feeling?" Saïx questioned as he rose to his feet and Riku felt a tad guilty for painting Saïx with such a demonic image with his mind. _It's goddamn Ansem fucking with my head,_ Riku explained and he took the explanation and ran with it.

"Hungry," Riku laughingly replied as he slowly eased out of bed, Saïx gesturing to the clothes nearby the furniture.

"I'm afraid they might be a bit big on you, but they should do. Get dressed and I'll find you something to eat," Saïx explained as Riku gave a nod. His body did feel quite better and a glance at his chest told him the wounds looked quite old now. _How long have I been asleep? _About to ask as he slipped on a shirt, his stomach gave a growl and he huffed in retaliation at his stomach's plea. Hurrying himself up, he was soon following after Saïx out of the room. Entering the hallway once more, he found his eyes slowly adjusting to the glare of the lights above. Were they always that bright?

Trying to recall the last time he walked through the hallway, he nearly gave a yelp in shock as a figure in the same black attire walked past them. The man looked a bit older than him with golden-chestnut locks in one of those tomahawk hairstyles with the hair spiked in the front down the entire middle of the skull, with buzzed cut sides. Riku cocked an eyebrow in question, and the troubled man gave him a look of utter distraught and pity. As if the man was tempted to yank Riku by the arm and run far away. Riku responded by giving his legendary death glare, causing the man to recoil in hurt before making sure he was walking far away from them both.

Saïx explained that finding/going to the kitchen was going to take a while since the castle was quite massive. Riku wished that they would hurry up because he was sick of people passing by and looking at him with pity. What the hell?! He was going to the kitchen, not to his death! It was when a spiky, red-haired man came out of a room did Riku feel himself to grow beyond pissed. The spiky freak show first proceeded with glaring daggers at Saïx as if he was some walking monstrosity before turning his gaze to Riku. Riku frowned darkly at the man and the red-head gave a look mixed with frustration and that same aggravating pity.

The red-head opened his mouth to speak but closed it; lips pursed as he grinded his teeth together. Riku gave a smug 'hmph' in response and proudly walked behind Saïx, head held up high. Fuck everyone else. They were all bat-shit crazy in his eyes now. It was minutes later did he find himself in the kitchen, marveling at how grand the room was. Saïx made a gesture with his hand that pretty much said, 'My house is your house – do as you wish with it'. Riku nodded in determination, exploring the fridge first before anything else as Saïx remained near the entrance of the kitchen before silently flipping the lock with the brush of his fingers.

Riku salivated as he hastily – and rather sloppily – made himself a batch of sandwiches as his stomach growled impatiently. Trying not to eat so fast, he happily chopped down on his meal in utter bliss. After a good thirty minutes, he slumped against the counter and grinned like a fool. Getting himself a glass of water he gave a casual glance at Saïx who was playing with a lock of blue hair with a bored expression written on his face. "Saïx, so is this Organization like the mafia?" Riku mused as he took a gulp of water, "The whole 'godfather/leader' deal and sending out the cronies to do the dirty work?" Somewhere deep inside he could recall men in black, hooded coats but the memory was covered in heavy, hazy darkness – like a thick fog. Whenever he tried to pry closer to the memories, the darkness in his heart would pulsate warningly against his being and he would recoil from it.

"Mafia?" Saïx blinked before pursing his lips in idle thought, "I can't say…I suppose in some extent, but the members are far too…free. Not enough discipline." A look of scorn danced on Saïx's face, as if saying he wouldn't mind teaching those undisciplined members a thing or two for their disobedience.

"Hmm, but you seem harmless."

Bingo. Presto. Ding. Click.

It was like someone opening the curtains for the next act - it was like someone turning on the light bulb – it was like someone screaming 'go' as the race began. It was the upcoming cue. It was time to end this charade of goodwill and hospitality.

Saïx gave an eerie, serene smile as he sauntered toward Riku, gloved hand gently behind the hand that held the glass of water. Riku blinked at shock at the gesture as Saïx's free left hand rested gently on the counter's empty space beside Riku. The youth found himself trapped by the muscular body, as a head dipped down forward toward his face. Lips hovered over his right ear as hot air from Saïx's mouth warmed the flesh. Riku only remained still, not at all sure what on earth was going on. Riku always prided himself on the islands for not being so…emotional and hormonal. While it was obvious as day that Kairi adored and loved Sora, always making sure to involve Sora more into the events in her life in contrast to him. He couldn't quite say if Sora loved Kairi in a romantic sense or in a brotherly manner. As for him? He gave his heart to no one. Not even Ansem himself could have his heart, and even now his heart continued to fight away the leftovers of Ansem. His heart was too strong to be truly swayed. His mind? Yes. His body? Sure. But heart? No.

But…this man gave him comfort when he had none. He spared his life when it could have been taken days ago by the Heartless. He fed him when he was starving. Saïx gave him this instant, temporarily feeling of protection – a haven. So what if the male was attractive? It meant entirely nothing. Right? So what if his savior happened to a complete sight for sore eyes? _I'm repeating myself…_

Feeling his thoughts swarm in confusion and debate between showing outright disgust and reciprocating what was bound to come, he found that part of his face was buried in the man's hair and neck. The scent of myrrh with the hint of vanilla incense tickled his nose as he felt his body relax at the manipulating scent. His body seemed to slacken, slipping a bit further from his place against the counter. The Nobody's body seemed to catch this and responded by pinning the youth's body by pressing closer against the teenager.

Then the older male spoke with that calm tone of his, only making Riku's eyes become half lidded. The man's voice and scent was as soothing as the light from the moon back in the room, and a heavy sigh riddled with sleep left him. "When you first met me, what made you think that I was harmless?" the words didn't sink in until he felt the hand against his with the glass of water suddenly tightened. A crack filled the air before glass shattered, Saïx's hand having forced Riku's hand to crush the object. Whatever spell of relaxation and deep sleep was on him was shattered along with the glass, his eyes shooting upward as he cried in surprise and pain. The hand continued to force the youth's hand into a clenched fist, shards of glass digging into the calloused hand.

Hissing and squirming against the hold he was in, he was tempted to bite the bastard's neck but he his plan was instantly trumped. Saïx drew back, body leaving Riku's and the youth already was clenching his other fist and hopefully would strike the man in the face. The Nobody was two steps ahead of him, his free hand grabbing Riku's wrist, releasing the clenched hand of glass shards as he tossed Riku across the room. The silver-haired teen felt like a baseball being chucked as his body flew across the room, narrowly avoiding a countertop before hitting the wall with a hard thud. Slumping onto the ground, he raised his head weakly to see Saïx slowly approaching him.

Whatever was once Saïx was now gone, or was that even Saïx in the beginning? The Nobody seemed to read his thoughts as he gave a cruel smile, "We Nobodies…we remember emotions…" Riku slowly got to his feet, hands pressed against the wall as he slowly slid away from the approaching monster.

"Nobodies?" Riku asked, trying to buy time, making his way toward the exit. No one was as fast as him; he could out race this crazy man in a heartbeat.

"Husks of the original…remnants of what we were," came the casual response as he neared; those eyes as bright as lighthouses in the darkness of night. Riku's hand reached to push the door open but it didn't budge and that when he felt himself begin to panic. Was there another way out!? Why the hell was this door not opening!? His hand began to search wildly for some sort of lock or whatever, but the sound of metal scrapping against metal made him stare back at Saïx. He felt as if he was going to be sick again as he watched the Nobody wield a massive claymore that looked as if it could skewer Riku in a heartbeat. Partially frozen against the door, he watched as the claymore was drawn back before descending downward toward him.

Something inside of him screamed at him to move – to do anything! Gritting his teeth, he raised his arm in front of his face to shield him as he shut his eyes. Metal clashed with metal, and when he opened his eyes the Soul Eater was in his hand and blocking the attack. Eyes narrowed fiercely as he shoved Saïx off of him, body darting away from his once cornered position. Racing toward the other side of the room, he could hear the sound of Saïx chasing after him. Spinning around, keyblade meeting claymore once more, he found himself flung by the sheer force suddenly placed in the older male's movement. Back pressed against the fridge, he hastily waved his hand, casting a firagra spell as orbs of fire shot out. It was not as strong as he hoped it would be and a little voice suggested sinking into the darkness for that added boost like before. Riku furiously disagreed with the voice.

Riku barely ducked as the claymore was hurled at him, the metallic weapon now sinking deeply into the wall. About to charge forward, he found that he was strangely pinned. Glancing at the claymore, he found that it pinned the sleeve of his shirt to the wall. Snarling, tempted to run off – shirt torn or not –, he watched as Saïx formed another claymore into his hand without a sweat. _W-What the hell!? _Rising the Soul Eater, he hit the claymore that pinned him down before parrying the oncoming attack. He got the faintest of feelings that Saïx was toying with him, making him run and place himself in corners. It didn't help that this area was limited in space.

"I'm not afraid of the darkness," Riku roared out as he raised his leg and kicked Saïx off of him with his foot. The trick was to make sure the male was far away from him, he was sure he could dodge the long-range attacks. Saïx gave an amused smile as he lightly tilted his head to the right, body slowly making a half-circle around the youth.

"Ah…but I am not darkness."

The words seemed to crush his world of reality, because he swore that Saïx must be made out of darkness. How on earth was he so powerful? Or more like what the hell just happened!? One moment he was in utter bliss and having the time of his short life, and the next moment he was being this crazy guy's chew toy.

Saïx took this as his moment to charge forward, body incredibly limber as he nearly seemed to glide through the air. Slamming the claymore down, Riku jumped, feeling the energy released from the attack hit him roughly in the right leg. Wincing, he landed on the neck of the claymore, shoving it further into the ground as Riku scurried up toward the strangely curious-looking Saïx. Without another word, he cocked his right fist back as he allowed his Soul Eater to fade away for now. _'X' marks the spot, right?_ And so Riku punched directly at the scar, fist making direct contact before flipping over the Nobody. Landing awkwardly behind Saïx, right leg giving hisses in distress, he summoned the Soul Eater out once more as he spun around. Staring confidently at his opponent's back, he debated if he should cast a healing spell on his leg or just wait further on and save his strength.

Saïx raised a hand and touched his scar before releasing a gentle chuckle, "I understand now." Riku kept himself poised; he was not going to lose his nerve because –

A terrifying growl filled the air before turning into a howl ringing of calamity and destruction. The claymore fell to the floor with a heavy thud, making Riku blink in awe at the fact Saïx was waving that thing around as if it was terribly light. Before Riku could even blink, Saïx disappeared only to seemingly reappear before him, something sharp swiping at his cheek. Feeling blood run down his cheek as he was grabbed by the collar, keyblade being beaten out of his hand before clattering on the floor. Riku couldn't even react or move a muscle as he was shoved mercilessly into the wall before the process was repeated, his head screaming in pain as stars danced in his vision. As his neck jerked about at the motion, his eyes caught the sight of the monster before him. Lips were pulled back into an open grin; teeth belonging to a shark revealed as the entire eye – pupil, iris, and the white of the eyes – were a heavy amber hue. The once thin scar on the man's face seemed to have widen, as if it was slowly taking over the entire face like some ravenous disease. _So I wasn't making things up…_ Something warm ran down his forehead and he hoped it was sweat and not blood. The hand on his collar moved to his neck and proceeded with tossing him once more to the opposite end of the room.

Crumbling into a heap in the rubble created by his impact, he watched as this animal crawled over a counter before landing gracefully on his feet. Prowling toward the youth, a pink tongue escaped the cavern of teeth to run across them in ravenous hunger. Raw energy seemed to radiate off of the man as he moved forward, Riku wiping his forehead and refusing to look at his arm to see if it truly was sweat or blood. He was too captivated by this change that occurred right before his eyes as a headache was coursing through his head.

Jekyll became Hyde.

Heaven became Hell.

Shoving the pain coursing through his body, he waited for Saïx to come closer before swinging recklessly at Saïx. Keyblade in hand now, Saïx dodged the attacks with ease before his claymore met the relentless keyblade. "Your movement is reckless – sloppy, at best. Why not just give into the darkness?" Saïx cooed out and Riku gave a choked hiss mixed in with a gasp at the words. He was not going to give in to the darkness. He refused to! It was bad enough he was using the Soul Eater! Feeling himself being overpowered by the older male as he pressed harder against the claymore, Riku's arms were shaking as he struggled to keep the Soul Eater up to par. The arm that bore the glass shards in the palm gave in first, causing his keyblade to fling haphazardly to the right, sticking into the wall.

The weapon sliced open Riku's arm, making the youth bite his tongue to keep the scream in. He was not going to stroke this sick fucker's ego. "I don't get it. You healed me. You did everything to help me – and now this!? It doesn't make any sense!" Riku shouted out as he backed away slowly, those golden eyes reverting to normal as they seemed to be searching for something far off. The youth didn't comprehend but that didn't matter, he was already casting a healing spell on himself.

"Respect is a virtue, as is being fair," Saïx mused as he rubbed his scar, eyes finally pinpointing a certain point in the wall where a small window stood. Those eyes of his became half-lidded again and Riku wondered in mild disbelief if he was missing a good chance to beat the living shit out of Saïx. Was this an opening?! But his body was terribly tired and distraught; Saïx was working his limbs to the very limit and he couldn't predict when he'll have enough energy to cast another spell on his body. "It is unfair of me to mark you when you are already suffering… I prefer a relatively clean slate," he finished calmly with a sense of complete control. Riku knew now though, that calm air of his bellied a sadistic monster.

"Well then I think this is enough," Riku hissed out vehemently, wondering if he even had enough energy to summon his keyblade into his hand.

Saïx only stared, that expression of his neutral as he rushed forward on silent feet. Riku yelped when he was shoved against a nearby countertop, the edge digging into Riku's lower back. A clawed hand sunk into his right thigh, making the youth cry at the pain shooting up wildly throughout his leg. The cry was instantly muffled by something terribly hot that it scorched his mouth, teeth ripping his lips in the process. His shell-shocked brain realized that the beast pinning him to the counter decidedly press his lips against his own in a violent kiss. Squirming against the hold, his hand searched wildly on the counter before him as far as it could reach. Feeling something wooden, he traveled upward and felt the plastic handle of something. Praying that it would cause harm, he tugged the object out and shoved it into Saïx's shoulder.

Lips tore off of his as a hiss escaped Saïx, the hand digging into his thigh leaving to pull out the kitchen knife used to cut steaks and other heavy-duty meats. A low growl rumbled in the male's throat as he pushed Riku aside, a hand firmly gripping the front of Riku's shirt. The older male proceeded with savagely clearing the countertop as Riku struggled to be free of the grip on his shirt. Slipping out of his shirt, he was soon free. Like always, Saïx was two steps head and by that it meant that a hand was already prepared to grab Riku's wounded hand. The grip on his hand tightened and Riku winced at the throbbing pain in his hand as he was dragged once more toward the Nobody.

Picked up and slammed onto the countertop with the help of only one arm was impressive, but Riku was not in the mood to be impressed with anything going on around him at this moment. The darkness in him continued to attack him, screaming at him to use it for the sake of fighting back and protecting himself. Riku stubbornly said 'no' even though he was bleeding profusely with probably a few cracked ribs. He couldn't let the darkness win - he wouldn't.

Although he seemed to be winning the battle when it came to that struggle, he was already losing the one before him. Blinking wearily at Saïx he found the man had discarded his coat as he felt hot fingers claw at his pants. Fear sank in as his body recoiled, feeling waves of dread crash into him. He rather be torn to shreds on the battlefield than this – not this. Plus he didn't want to spend his first time in a situation like this one. When cold air hit his legs did he attempt to sink into the counter and fade into the material as the Nobody loomed over him like the angel of death with a crazed light in those eyes. He couldn't believe that he had been conned by someone who blatantly looked like he could snap your neck in a heartbeat. That scar spoke volumes and he had to be suckered in by comfort. All that relief, all that comfort was nothing but Saïx playing with his food and he felt his entire insides scream at the traitorous betrayal. Why the hell did he always have to suffer the most?

Keeping his eyes focused on the ceiling, thoughts scurrying across the planes of his mind at ninety-eight miles per hour, he could feel a scorching finger draw an invisible sign on his abdomen. Lips pressed against his shoulder blade as teeth ran slowly across the skin as hands adjusted Riku's body. Feeling something prod his forbidden entrance, the muscles in his body immediately tensed in some small way of resistance. The teeth on his shoulder found its spot and before Riku could plead or protest verbally, teeth sank into his shoulder, distracting him from holocaust of heat occurring down below.

Eyes were already watering and he hated the fact that he was on the verge of tears as he felt the Nobody move inside of him. Teeth unlatched themselves from his shoulder as blood-stained lips pressed against his ear, "Just surrender to it…and it'll all go away." He was giving a Judas's kiss on his lips that was too loving that it made the youth sick to his stomach. Riku gnashed his teeth, hands struggling to push at Saïx's chest, but the man was immovable. He knew what the bastard was trying to accomplish now. He was forcing him to meet his limit and to break under it. He was forcing him to cower and use the remnants of darkness inside of him. Riku snarled and squirmed with whatever energy was left in him, there was no way in hell was he going to give in. If he was going to give in, then he should have stayed put with the King.

"I…can fight…my own battles," Riku spat, making sure to spit blood at the Nobody's cheek. Saïx answered by keeping a steady pace, body rocking in a casual manner that dripped arrogance. Riku couldn't keep the glare for long when he felt the Nobody hit the area that made him sing and see fireworks. Gasping, fingers dug into the older male's body like a cat that just got water dumped on it. Cheeks were now fully enflamed as he felt his body betray him, vocal chords producing a perfectly tuned wanton moan. Pleading for the male to quicken his pace, the monster came to a shuddering halt. "Move," Riku snarled and Saïx remained still, rising up so he could look down at the silver-haired teenager. Riku spotted the wound he gave the man on his shoulder and how bizarre silver liquid was crusted around the wound – as if that was the blood.

"Fight your own battles – did you not say that?" Saïx asked, that stoic and cold persona once more out for display. "So fight it," he finished as his hand gently rested on one of the wounds on the youth's chest. With the quirk of a lip, he pressed roughly into the wound, claws digging into the torn flesh as a piercing scream cut through the air. "Come on, Riku. Giving up already? Or do you have nothing to fight for?" the cruel voice laughed and Riku choked on a sob, coughing recklessly as tears ran uncomfortably into his ears. He could hear his own voice asking him the same question: "Giving up already? Or do you have nothing to fight for?" His eyes were robbing him of living in ignorance, instead it seemed to only show him the error of everything occurring at this very moment.

_What am I fighting for? It's not like I did any good in the past…_

It was enough for him to wallow in doubt and jealousy on the fact Sora had it damn perfect. It was enough for a part of him to give in and he could feel himself being shoved aside. Something else was taking control…

Saïx stared in a mixture of boredom and a mild form of anticipation. It was when Riku gave a shuddering breath, exhaling a soft wisp of onyx fog, did Saïx smile. It was as if one was cold and when they exhaled their breath would become tangible in temporary wisps. The same applied as Riku seemed to exhale darkness, his body giving out a painful wheezing sound. Finally moving, the body underneath him responded the same way Riku's had before but the face was a mask of a cold version of savage disdain. Dipping his head closer to examine, he gave a soft 'hmph' in satisfaction at what he saw. "Ah…I know those eyes," Saïx murmured as he stared at a muddied version of yellow eyes on the brink of turning a darker hue. Why the way those eyes held him made him think of the Superior and he gave a hum in realization at this all. Satisfied at the change, the monster rubbed against the changed youth with sickening pleasure as teeth nipped whatever skin was untouched by his attacks from before.

Feeling the body shudder and release, his body momentarily followed suit. While the youth panted, body still flushed and experiencing the after-glow of the experience, he found little pleasure in this all. Business was business. Work was work. However, he did find mirth in shoving the youth off of the counter as he cleaned himself off. The exhaling of darkness was no longer present and those tarnished yellow eyes were fading into the usual sea-green. Already he noted wryly that the injuries on the youth were healed quite well. So the darkness in Riku saved the youth from bleeding to death… It did not matter though if the child was stronger because of this… A heart robbed by darkness is useless no matter its strength.

Slipping on his clothes and running a hand through his locks in an effort to fix the askew hair, he proceeded with grabbing the youth and ejecting him off of the premises. It was a good ten minutes later did a portal open to Fragment Crossing, a series of winding streets that was riddled with starving Heartless. Dropping the disposable youth on the black top, he gingerly released the clothes in his other onto the ground.

"I'll…fucking kill you. I swear it," Riku swore to the ground, limbs shuddering and refusing to help him stand up. Yet the words held no power, the teenager was broken – stripped, forever scarred by the devil inside of this Nobody.

Saïx only stared at the youth for a moment, face impassive as usual as he scratched the underside of his jaw in nonchalance. "Till death do us part," Saïx finally mused, the words running out elegantly off of his tongue as he relished his own words, amused at their fluidity and irony. Riku only glared as he felt exhaustion overwhelm him and the next time he would awaken would be to only wander aimlessly before being found by a man in red…

* * *

"Axel aside, it would break our hearts to hear something happened to you," a dreadfully calm voice mused out in dry humor. Sora only rolled his eyes, hands still tightly around the handle of his keyblade and ready to attack at a moment's notice. He wasn't buying this whole act, especially if this guy was trying to hunt down his own teammate. Organization XIII seemed terribly chaotic at the moment with this whole rebellious black sheep and now this guy who was trying to use the 'Oh, but I'm here for _your_ best interest' card.

Donald seemed to feel the same way as he lifted his right arm in exasperation, staff waving in the air. "Hearts!? You don't have any hearts!"

Exactly. So what made this guy think that he was going to buy into this whole charade? He knew they lacked hearts. He knew that they were up to no good. Silence fell for a brief moment and Sora could feel hidden eyes focused on him.

"True," the man began once more as he raised his gloved hands to pull down the hood, "we don't have hearts." The hood fell down to reveal a cream-colored face bearing an unusual scar in the middle in the shape of an 'x', followed by periwinkle-blue hair and melting eyes of gold. The eyes seemed to fit in well with the golden interior and exterior of Twilight Town unlike the black coat. "But we remember what it was like. That's what makes us special," the Nobody continued as he stared calmly at the three before him.

Goofy looked downright confused as he lightly dropped his guard, "Whaddya mean?" The voice alone betraying curiosity and doubt. Wondering if placing complete hatred to the Organization was actually the right thing. Maybe they weren't so bad…?

A portal of darkness formed beside the man as he replied with that same calm and controlling voice of his, "We know very well how to injure a heart." Sora frowned at this, eyes narrowing at the words as suspicion gripped him wildly. "Sora, you just keep on fighting those Heartless." Sora however was far from listening to his words; his eyes were on the portal instead. Lightly tilting his head toward Donald, keeping his eyes glued to the portal, he whispered to the duck:

"Let's jump in after him!"

"How come?"

"I'm not sure," Sora admitted, "but maybe he'll lead us to the Organization's world."

Saïx gave a smirk as he stared at the keyblade bearer, "Don't be reckless. Do you want to end up like Riku?"

Sora's guard broke immediately, the anger lost into hope and confusion. "What?" he asked, body taking a step forward. Saix only gave a serene smile before holding his arms out and backing into the portal with utter grace and confidence. It was a gesture that beckoned, offered, taunted and mocked Sora into following after him.

Sora hesitated as he stared at the portal and before he could enter it, it vanished into soft, silent wisps of darkness. A deep sense of regret danced in him as he shouted uselessly at the now empty space, "Hey! Wait! …ugh." Scratching the back of his head, he lightly turned to his two other companions.

"What do you think he meant by 'end up like Riku'?"

* * *

_Love it? Hate it? Tell me in a review!_

**a/n: **Riku's life kind of sucks...as if he doesn't go through enough hell in his life. Anyhoo, I got a upcoming KH fic where I shall sort of redeem Kairi (because I honestly hate her guts and I think that I need to fix her up) with the help of two of your fav. characters! So stay in tune!


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